Music time indicator



Dec. 2, 1930.

M.'J. GoUD'sMlT MUSICAL TIME INDICATOR Filed Aug. 2, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 d wf/W4@ las glll'or'neym Dec. 2, 1930. M. J. GounsMl-r MUS ICAL TIME INDICATOR Filed Aug. 2, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 2, 1930. M. .'1. GoUDsMrr 1,783,537

MUSICAL TIME INDICATOR Filad Aug. 2, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 QW lll l? Patented Dec. 2, 1930 UNITED :STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSIC TIME INDICATOR Application led August 2, 1928, Serial No. 296,972, and in Germany April 10, 1928.

Generally it is very difficult when teaching music to impart to the pupil the correct rhythm, the exact keeping of time and the exact regular rhythmic foot movement, in

which exercises or compositions in general should be played or performed. y

These diliiculties are perceptible even to advanced pupils and practicing artists.

As the indications given in pieces of music,

such as allegro andanteJ and other indications, are too indefinite to indicate to the pupil or the practicingartist the exact time to keep when studying a piece `of music, for this purpose use is made of the metronome, as is known.

The disadvantages connected with studying with the aid of the metronome are of many kinds. These, among` others, are as follows:

When studying a piece of music two chief phenomena must be observed and followed besides the pedalling, these are the pitch and the rhythm or time. At present, both must be perceived by the ear by means of the metronome. s

Itis troublesome for the player to have to payattention by ear to the rhythm by the ticking of the metronome, while he must at the same time accurately observe the pitch. The latter interferes with the former.

30 vi'pfurther disadvantage consists in that when the metronome is in frontof the player, the swing of the pendulum has a, disturbing effect on the eye itself, as it must read the notes at the same time.

The present invention seeks to remove these disadvantages.

It arises on` the one hand out of the conception that the player must be enabled to restrict his hearing exclusively to observing- 40 the pitch, and on the other hand from the consideration that the player tends naturally to suit the movement of hisfeet to the time or rhythm when playing.

The vinvention consists of an apparatus, whichimparts the time of the music to be played mechanically to the foot of the player, but is adapted also to give the metric accent at the end of each metrical period or bar. With this device both the time and the metric accent are indica-ted by a movement perceptible to the sense of touch of the player. The rhythmic, swinging movement of this movable member is derived from a shaft rotating at uniform circumferential velocity. By changing this circumferential velocity, the time cf the rhythmic swinging of the movable member is changed.

This rhythmically moved member is connected in any manner to the foot of the player.

Structurally, the invention is characterized b v a pedal and a mechanical driving device, which are connected together in such manner by suitable transmission members, for example, by a wheel and a pull rod, or by a u cam, or other transmission means, that the rotating movement produced by the transmission device is converted by means of this transmission member into a swinging movement of the pedal.

The metrical accent is indicated by taps delivered on the underside of the pedal. For this purpose I may use a spring-loaded lever, actuated vby aV cam, which is driven from the crank shaft by means of toothed gear.

Itis important for the operation of the apparatus, that the driving device operates with variable transmission, in order to derive the rhythmic movement of the pedal variable to correspond with the particular time, from the continuously rotating shaft.

' The construction may obviously be so carried out that the movement of the pedal is parallel to itself.

The invention is illustrated in the following drawings in one constructional example. Fig. 1 shows a constructional example of the apparatus in perspective.

Fig. 2 shows a transmission device in transverse section for driving the swinging member, which device has also a variable transmission ratio, and by means of which the rhythmically swinging member influencing the body ofthe player is driven, with the aid of a suitable transmission member.

Fig. 3 illustrates another constructional example of the driving mechanism for actuating the rhythmically moved member.

Fig. 4; is an elevation of the device for indicating'the metric accent.: v 100 Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and Y Fig. 6 isa diagrammatic plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4.

1 denotes the pedal, 2 the driving device, 3 the main shaft of the driving device, Which latterris driven in any desired manner, for exampleby means of a spring mechanism, or by means of motor, herein generally designated by th-e numeral 16 in Fig. 3,'W`ith the interposition of'a transmission device.

4 is the shaft directly driven by the spring mechanism or the motor. 5 is a milled Wheel connected to this shaft and movable inan axial direction thereofl 6, 6 is the pair of discs engagingthis milled Wheel and mutually rotating it. 7 land 8 are the bevel Wheels connected to these engagingdiscs, and are coupled together by the bevel Wheel 9. 10 are the springs pressing' the discs 6 against the milled `Wheel 5. 11 is the standard innfhichthe main shaft 3 is borne.Y 12 is a vibration Wheel .on the main shaft-carrying the 'crank pin/13. -14 is theconnect-ing rod Aconnecting the Vpedal 1 to the lcrank pin 13.

15 illustrates a scale lprovided with a pointer. By displacing the pointer the tra-nsmission device can be adjusted -to various speeds, in such manner that the brake discs brake to a greater or lesser degree, and permit the braking to be adjusted throughout the duration of one piece or a portion thereof. ln Fig. 5 I have shown one illustrative embodiment of means for adjusting the speeds of the discs 6 for greater or lessspeed of the shaft 3, said means comprising a screwthreaded rod 15a operatively connected With the pointer 15b arranged to rotate about the scale 15. Byrotating the pointer, 15.J therrod 15EL Will be reciprocated by thethreads thereon a predetermined amount. The rod 1 5? is pivotally connected at 1'5C to alerter-15"1 Which pivots at 15e upon a stationary part 15"V of the apparatus. The free end of the lever'15d is forkedfto straddle a collar 15g secured to the shaft-4 to turn'therewith. Thecollar 15g Vis -annularly grooved at 15h and into this groove'project rollers 15i carriedby the arms of the lever 15d. Y 1 Y l Obviously the turning lof the pointer V15b will, through theaforesalid mechanism, move the milled Wheel 5A toward or away from the axis of the discs 6 Vand thereby increase or diminish the speed of the shaft 3, correspondingly varyingy the linear velocity of the pedal 1. It is however to be understood that-the invention isy not limited to this method of varying said speed.

ln the constructional example illustrated in Fig. 3 an electric motor 16 is used for driving the device actuating the rhythmically moved member, for regulating the'circumferential velocity ofv theshaft of the electric motor arheostat 17 is used.

21 is a shaft coupledtofthe-main shaft 3.

29 is a toothed Wheel fixed to the main shaft 3 and meshing With a toothed Wheel 28 on the shaft 21. Y

Cams 22 having elevated Vportions 23 are connected to the shaft 21.

A roller 24 resting on the cams is carried by a lever .25 pivoted at 30 and acted on by vmovement of this pointer serving to place one or other of the cams under the roller 24, for which purpose the pointer is connected toa rod.

ln Fig. 6 is shown an illustrative embodiment o f mechanism capable of varying the vmetric accent in accordance with the above,

this mechanism comprising three discs 22, p

22a and 22h. lThe disc 22 maybe assumed to be provided With a sufficient number of depressions to indicate 2/4 time or accent, the

disc 22EL with depressions to indicate 3 /4 time, i and the disc 22" to indicate 4/4 time, and by Y moving these discs successively into engagement with the roller 24 the corresponding accents will be transmitted tothe pedal 1.

rlhe cam discs 22, 22a and 22b are desirably splined so as to slideupon and rotate with the vshaft-21 from which they receive-their motion through lthe gears 28 and'29. The threerdiscsv 22, 22a and V22b are arranged to rotate as a .unit and to move Y these discs axially of the shaft 21, I provide a yoke 25a engaging an annular groove 25b formedin a hub of the .unit composed'of said discs 22,

The yoke 25a vis's'ecuredtod a slide 25, slidable infsuitable guides25d. "A cam roller 25e carried by saidslide is arranged lto engage a cam-groove 25f1formed in the face of a cylindrical cam member 25g. .The cam member 25g is operatively connected through gearsV 25h and 25i with vthe rod 25j at Whose upper end is the pointer cooperating with the dial 20 sothat When 'said pointer is rotated the discs ,22, 22a and22b will. be successively brought into proper relation. vvith the cam roller 24. Y

Cooperatingwith the cam groove 25fgis a cam disc 24a having elevations 24b properly arranged slightly to raise the lever 25 prior to the axial movementsof the cam discs so that saidV lever will clear the said discs.` i

18 is a band Aor strap placed-around the pedal, in order to give the footthe required hold during thetread :of the pedal. Y Y

lt is to be Lmentioned'that the present invention canbe used in lcombinatie'Il With any dlritf/ing device which is suitable to rotate a s 1a t.

Furthermore it is to be mentioned, that in the construe-tional example shown in Fig. l, the transmission device and pedal rest on one base plate 19. Obviously these members may be arranged otherwise than on a common base plate.

The apparatus operates in the following manner:

At the instant that the transmission device is set in operation by an external force, this device transmits its movement by means of any rod to the pedal, gives the same a swinging movement and the foot placed on the pedal follows this periodic or rhythmic movement.

At the same time the cam 22 is rotated by the crank shaft 3 and toothed wheel 28 and 29, the roller 24 travelling over the elevated portions 23. At the end of a. certain number of revolutions the roller 24 is pressed by the spring 26 into one of the depressions between two elevated portions, so that the end 27 of the lever 25 strikes the pedal l, the blow being felt by the foot of the player, and marking the metric accent of the piece.

The device can be used in connection with any musical instruments, but with pedal instruments some device other than a pedal must, of course, be used for indicating the time and accent.

Claims:

l. An apparatus or" the character described comprising, in combination, means for transmitting rhythmic movement to a rest in contact with the person, and mechanism for imparting an actuating impulse at selected intervals to said rest.

2. A musical time-indicator comprising, in combination, means for transmitting rhythmic movements to a rest, means for imparting accenting impulses to said rest, including a plurality of laterally movable cams, a pulsating member, and means for moving a selected cam into operative engagement with said pulsating member.

3. A musical time-indicator according to claim 2, wherein the cams are respectively provided with elements for imparting variable pulsations to said pulsating member for each rotation of the driving member.

4. A musical time-indicator according to claim 2, wherein a spring actuated member is actuated by said cam to impart a predetermined number ot impulses to said rest.

5. A musical time-indicator comprising, in combination, means for imparting accenting impulses to the person, including a plurality of members respectively provided with a selected number lof accenting elements, a pulsating member cooperating with said accenting elements, and means for timing the accenting impulses, including a scale, and a pointer adjustable over said scale and operatively connected with said laterally movable members'.

6. A musical time-indicator according to claim 5, wherein the timing of the accenting impulse is effected by means of a pointer adjustable over a scale and connected to a rod for moving the cams selectively into position for actuating a roller carried by the pulsating member.

7. An apparatus of the character described comprising a device for imparting rhythmic movement of the tempo to be played, and mechanical means for transmitting metrical accent by audible pulsations to the person of the player.

8. A musical time-indicator according to claim 7, characterized by means for imparting an accenting impulse to a pedal, a driving shaft 3, a shaft 2l driven by said driving shaft, a plurality of cams 22 adjustable lengthwise of said shaft, and a pulsating member arranged to be acted upon by selected cams for imparting pulsations to said pedal.

In testimony whereof I have aliiXed my signature.

MAURITS JONAS GOUDSMIT.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORREGTN.

Param No. 1,783,537. Gmrred December 2, i939, to

MAURITS JONAS GQUDSMYE.

t is hereby certified that error appears in rhs prin Page 1, line 10, after abve numbered patent requiring correction as oows: "allegro" insert 2^. comma; page 3, ine 79, daim 7, strie our he wrd. "audbe 7 and tha he said Letters Patent shoud be read with h-ese correctivas therein rhat the sam@ may coni-erm to the recrd of true case in tha Param Gae.

Signe and sealed this 6th day nfanuary, A. D. 193i.

(Saai) CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTQN.

Param No. 1,?83,537. Grasred December 2, N30, to

MAURITS JONAS GOUDSMII.

Page 1, line 10, after e werd "audb1e";

therein that.

it is hereby certified that error appears in tha prin abve numbered patent requiring correcties as folows: "allegra" insert a comma; page 3, line 79, claim 7, strike Gut th and that the said Letters Patent simul. be read with these correctmrs the sama may conorm to the record of the case in the Patent Oce.

Sgne and sealed this 6th day' Gf January,

M. J. Moore, Acting Gmmssener of Patents.

(Seal) 

